The Committee For A More Responsible Local 47

8/25/17

I. TWO COLLEAGUES LOST
II. PENSION COMMENTS
III. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. TWO COLLEAGUES LOST: A TOUGH WEEK

Colleagues,

This week saw the loss of two dear friends and colleagues:

1) Dell Hake, Composer/Arranger

Dell spent his college years at Drake in his home state of Iowa .
After receiving two degrees in music,  he joined the NORAD
military band where he met young musicians from LA
who became his life long friends .

Working in the music industry in LA, Dell’s professional career
spanned 45 years as a composer/orchestrator for live
performances, commercials, television and films.

The list includes, Ice Follies. Ice Capades, Holiday on Ice
Europe and Disney on Ice; Music for theme parks in
Singapore and the Lake District in Italy; Commercials
for Don Piestrup (Piece a Cake) and Brian Banks
(Ear To Ear); A series of films for Mark Isham;
Simpson’s television series for 24 years with his
good friend, Alf Clausen and countless smaller projects.

Dell also enjoyed teaching  the Spud Murphy
“EIS Horizontal Composition” course on Skype
to students here and abroad.  He was a devoted
student of Spud’s and helped him write the
Advanced Course.

He was on the board of ASMAC (American
Society of Music Arrangers and Composers) for 10 years.
Dell was respected by his peers for his work ethic
and for being master of his craft which included a
broad range of musical styles from Brahms to the
Keystone Cops.

He will be remembered for his wit and wisdom,
easy manner and his gentle spirit.

2) Maurice Grants, 1960 – 2017 cellist – Passed away the day
of the eclipse from complications of colon cancer. Please keep
Lynn and his family in your thoughts.

He was a world class cellist who worked on countless jobs of
all types for decades.

Friends and loved ones are welcome at the graveside service for
Maurice, which will be this coming Tuesday, August 29th, at 2
p.m., in the Morning Light section of Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills.

The location is 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles CA 90068.
A memorial service will be held a a later date to be announced.

===========================================

II. PENSION COMMENTS

“[EC: Our dues pay the salaries of the trustees,

they have no right to refuse answering reasonable

questions of their employers (us).
“Why haven’t these people been fired?]”
??? Trustees don’t receive any compensation as trustees.

What are you smoking?

[EC: Well at least we know they’re getting paid what they’re

worth! Fire them and get someone who knows what they’re

doing!}

——————————————-

those trustees just took an all -expenses- payed trip to Nashville
for a week. some of my friends who play in clubs in N’ville saw
them drinking like fish and eating huge meals, slappin each
other on the back about how they’re gonna fuck us, and then
going back to their expensive hotel rooms.

the only good thing about Ray is his hair. Nice and thick…

——————————————–

So you didn’t actually witness this. But your friends on their
gigs could recognize the trustees by face, were nearby enough
to clearly overhear dinner conversation in a music club,
and were able to track the alcohol consumption.

And you know, I assume, that the union-side trustees
are also all participants in the Plan, and that what
happens to the Fund affects their retirement, too –
in a big way? Every one of the union trustees have
a big stake in the outcome of this mess.

———————————

mostly they recognized the president of their local
and figured out the other guys were at the table with
him because they were in town for the pension meeting.
these musicians also record all the time, have an
enormous stake in the Pension, and are completely
wise to the whole deal that Ray and the Boyz are
pulling.

they work in clubs at night for the music. i guess,
Anonymass, that you never played in a club; otherwise
you’d know that one of the fun things to do there is
watch assholes eat too much, and count the
countless rounds of drinks they consume,
wondering how they’ll ever get home being that
loaded …didn’t you vote for Dump?

———————————————-

You’re right; I’m a show player.
So, exactly what is the “whole deal that Ray and
the Boyz are pulling?” The pension fund is in trouble,
but your comment implies that there’s some sort of
conspiracy. To accomplish what, exactly?
——————————
Who the hell are these arrogant fools who decide
who the “top musicians” are in Local 47? I have
worked here over 40 years now and on any given
recording job I did back in the 80’s and early 90’s
I have never recorded with anyone who is not a
“top musician”.

The facts are that yes, the players in the “nifty fifty”
are great but there are also GREAT players who
aren’t a part of this RMA so called “elite group”.

The most ridiculous thing is that often a composer
will ask for your name to be included in the orchestra
only to have certain contractors say that he/she
was called but “unavailable”.

———————————-

The Canadian stock market did not follow the US
market in 2006. Since the Canadian pension invests
primarily in Canadian companies, their investment
performance correlates more with the Canadian
market than the US market. I pointed this out to
MPS but have not seen a response.
(more…)

8/17/17

I. MEMBER COMMENTARY
II. AFM VS CANADIAN AFM PENSIONS
III. BMI FILING
IV. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. MEMBER COMMENTARY

Have you seen this?

The good old boys get together to promote what local 47
TOOK OVER AFTER an RMA Leader’s FAILED ATTEMPTS
YEARS AGO.

Now a certain leader of the RMA entering the picture again.
He is such a hypocrite in his comments as follows:

“If we can get the state to invest in those projects, we can be
competitive, and give composers access to the top musicians,”

RESPONSE: “TOP MUSICIANS”? What is a top musician?
News Flash: Not all excellent world class Los Angeles musicians
are RMA members. (the established RMALA line of doing business)

RMA provided Variety with a list of 2015 releases scored outside
the U.S., five of which were among the year’s 25 top-grossing films.
(“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “The Martian,” “Mission: Impossible –
Rogue Nation,” “Mad Max: Fury Road” and “Kingsman:
The Secret Service”) that, had they been scored here, would
have generated wages and residuals totaling nearly $18 million
for the insiders.

RESPONSE: HAD THEY BEEN SCORED IN L.A. THE RMA LEADER
WOULD MAKE SURE THE $18 MILLION WOULD ONLY GO TO
THE SO-CALLED “TOP” MUSICIANS.

In any given year, according to Los Angeles RMA chapter
president Steve Dress, L.A. musicians earn an estimated
$10 million to $12 million in wages for movies, and passage
of this bill could bring in another $5 million annually.
“It would transform our community,” he says.

RESPONSE: FOR WHO? AND JUST HOW MANY DIFFERENT
INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS WOULD BE HIRED??

It’s also in the indie arena where minority composers and
women composers are working more steadily, Acosta
points out. This could benefit them and promote diversity
in film music.

RESPONSE: Why doesn’t the RMA leader just say TOP
COMPOSERS. Yet he mentions minority composers and
woman composers making it a level field for composers
but not all musicians have the opportunity to be hired.

How about promoting DIVERSITY IN HIRING
PROFESSIONAL RECORDING MUSICIANS???

THE RAM LEADER, CONTRACTOR AND THE
BUNCH ARE JUST DROOLING TO GET THEIR
MITS ON THAT MONEY.

If the State of California passes this bill it
should include that not all the monies the State
of California receives can benefit only a
‘set group’ of musicians over and over again
controlled by the RMALA.

Disregard how many musicians wages received when
only ones hired are the protected RMALA gang each
time. Otherwise only a relative few musicians
would prosper. Game over, were back where we
started 30 years ago.

Musicians’ Union Backs Legislation to Return Scoring Jobs to L.A.

================================================

II. AFM VS CANADIAN AFM PENSIONS

Comparing the AFM’s Two Pension Funds:
Our AFM-EPF vs. Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada

While researching the dramatic deterioration of our pension
fund, Musicians for Pension Security (MPS) continues to be
deeply troubled by how, compared to other pension funds
in our industry, ours is performing so poorly. Our trustees
cite declining demographics, unsatisfactory industry
dynamics and changing mortality tables. But a peer AFM
musicians’ pension fund, Musicians’ Pension Fund of
Canada (MPF Canada), is quite healthy, despite the fact
that it is subject to the exact same factors cited by
AFM-EPF trustees.

Just like our pension fund, MPF Canada contributions are
negotiated with employers by the AFM and written into
collective-bargaining agreements. So why are they over
100% funded (MPFC’s 2016 report), and we continue to
slide into deeper despair each year? Currently the AFM-
EPF is 69% funded.  (Annual Funding Notice) Is it possible
that the Canadian trustees are simply more competent
than our U.S. counterparts? The numbers speak for
themselves: MPF Canada’s investment performance is
far better than ours with 11.3% average returns over 5
years, vs. 6.9% for the AFM-EPF. In addition, MPF
Canada’s expenses are less than half of the AFM-EPF’s
with .62% of assets under management vs. 1.37%
for AFM-EPF. The Canadians are paying half as
much to generate twice the return of investment.
Looking back to a pivotal year for all funds, during the
financial crisis of 2008, the Canadians performed far
better than the AFM-EPF. Our plan lost 29.3% in the
single fiscal year ending March 31, 2009, while the
Canadian plan lost only 1.77% during the same period.

This raises the question – are there variables to explain
why MPF Canada has continually outperformed the
AFM-EPF, like benefit levels, mortality rates, retirement
age, demographics, or industry dynamics? In short, the
answer is no. The benefit multiplier* for MPF Canada
has been $3.25 since January ’11, while the benefit
multiplier of the AFM-EPF has been $1.00 since
January ’10. Additionally, demographics for the
Canadian plan face worse conditions: only 32% of
plan participants are active union members in
Canada, vs. 42% of AFM-EPF members in the
USA. Furthermore, employer contributions are
far less in the Canadian fund, and mortality rates
in Canada are less favorable financially to
beneficiaries because Canadians simply live longer than Americans.
It appears that the trustees’ judgment and experience
are significant determining factors between the two
funds. It’s clear that when compared to MPF Canada,
the AFM-EPF’s performance over the last decade has f
ailed. In fact, the Executive Director of MPF Canada
released a public statement distancing themselves
from the AFM-EPF’s performance (referring to
President Hair’s article in the May ’17 edition
International Musician), stating “this article is
not relevant to the Musicians’ Pension Fund of
Canada” (read Ms. Versteeg-Lytwyn’s full letter
here). The AFM really has two parallel pension
funds – one in the US, and the other in Canada.
They are operated similarly, face the same
declining demographics and other variables, but
still they produce completely different results.

Why? This is the question the AFM-EPF trustees
need to answer.

*In a defined pension plan the method for arriving
at guaranteed monthly benefits includes years of
service, average salary and a benefit multiplier.
The multiplier is applied to years of service and
the average salary to determine the size of the
benefit amount.

===========================================

III. BMI FILING

Dear BMI Member,

As you know, BMI has been engaged in ongoing
litigation with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
over its interpretation of our consent decree. The
DOJ wanted to implement a 100% licensing model,
which BMI fought against in court last summer and
won. In a victory for the entire music industry, federal
Judge Louis Stanton ruled that BMI is free to continue
its longstanding practice of fractional licensing. The
DOJ appealed that decision, and as part of the ongoing
briefing process, today BMI filed its response.

You can read our brief here.

You’ll see that our brief focuses very specifically on the
language of BMI’s consent decree and whether or not
it allows for the practice of fractional licensing.  This is
because the language of our decree was the basis for
Judge Stanton’s favorable ruling and is our strongest
argument in this appeal.  We believe Judge Stanton
got it right, which is why we continue to vigorously
defend his position.

We expect the appeal process to continue into 2018
and we will, of course, keep you updated on next steps.

I realize that many of you may have questions about
100% vs fractional licensing and what this means for
all of you.  Please click here for an updated Q&A that
helps explain the issue and where we are in the process.

I’d also like to share the below statement that was
issued today to the press regarding BMI’s brief:

“BMI’s appeal argument is extremely simple in that it
comes down to the language of our decree.  As Judge
Stanton clearly stated, there is nothing in the BMI
decree that prevents us from engaging in the industry-
wide practice of fractional licensing.  What is not
simple, however, is the impact the DOJ’s interpretation
of our decree would have on the marketplace.  It would
stifle competition, hinder collaboration and unfairly benefit
music users at the expense of the American songwriter.
As always, we hope for the opportunity to sit down with
the new leadership of the DOJ to educate it about the
negative ripple effect its 100% licensing interpretation
would have on the entire music industry.”

Mike O’Neill
President & CEO
BMI

===========================================

IV. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

http://www.responsible47.com

———————————————

8/19/17

From Charlie Ferguson

This is to let you know that my sextet will be
performing at Bar Fedora in downtown Los Angeles
on Saturday, August 19, as part of Cathy Segal-Garcia’s
Saturday Night Jazz concert series. This venue (which
also hosts occasional concerts on Friday nights) has
recently celebrated their 100th concert since being
established in January 2016, and we are thrilled and
proud to be a part of it. This will be a fun program of
my arrangements of jazz standards and original
compositions. Details below:

Charlie Ferguson Sextet
performing live at
Bar Fedora (at Au Lac Restaurant)
710 W. 1st St. (corner of 1st and Hope,
across the street from Disney Hall)
Los Angeles, CA 90012

Saturday, August 19, 2017
7:30 – 11:00 PM (2 sets)
Tickets: $10-$30

Charlie Ferguson – piano
Gene Burkert – tenor and soprano sax
Ron Stout – trumpet and flugelhorn
Scott Whitfield – trombone
Chris Conner – bass
Bob Leatherbarrow – drums

——————————————–

8/19/17

AN EVENING WITH ALEX NESTER

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Saturday, August 19, 2017 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)

Sessions at the Loft
2465 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 91320

———————————————

8/22-29/17

RESERVE YOUR SEATS NOW
AUGUST 22nd, 25th, 27th, 29th
SEPTEMBER 9th, 11th, 12th
Each Evening at 7:30 pm
MALIBU COAST MUSIC
FESTIVAL 2017

Intimate Musical Soirees with
Old World Hospitality and Charm
Presenting Extraordinary Concert Artists
and Distinguished Speakers

Seven Evenings of World Class Music Making
Each Concert Featuring
Unique Programming & Artists

Tickets and reservations are available at
www.malibufriendsofmusic.org

RESERVE ONLINE
www.malibufriendsofmusic.org

PHONE RESERVATIONS:
(310) 589-0295

Featuring Festival Artists from
Across the Nation and the World
Performing Exceptional Works of
Antonin Dvorak, John Corigliano
W.A. Mozart, Antonio Vivaldi
Alberto Ginastera, Alfred Newman
Frederick Chopin, Astor Piazzolla,
Maria Newman, Scott Joplin,
Randy Newman, William Bolcom,
George Gershwin

FESTIVAL PROGRAMS

Tuesday, August 22nd at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHOTECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“CHAMPAGNE GALA OPENING CONCERT”

Friday, August 25th at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“FRIDAY FOLKLORE & ANCIENT ANTIPHONS”

Sunday, August 27th at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“MARVELOUS MOZART, TANTALIZING
TANGO, AND A TRAVELING SALESWOMAN”

Tuesday, August 29th at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“WONDERFUL AND WILDE”

Saturday, September 9th at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“SONGS FOR SOLDIERS”

Monday, September 11 at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“IN REMEMBRANCE”

Tuesday, September 12th at 7:30 pm
MONTGOMERY ARTS HOUSE FOR
MUSIC AND ARCHITECTURE
MAHMA Great Room
“FANTASTIC FESTIVAL FINALE”

MCMF 2017 Festival Artists:
Nicholas Goluses, classic guitarist
Miko Kominami, pianist
Eric Kutz, cellist
Paula Hochhaler, cellist
Hal Ott, flutist
Christina Borgioli, soprano
Nandani Maria Sinha, mezzo soprano
Diana Tash, mezzo soprano
Wendy Prober, pianist
Maria Newman, Composer-in-Residence
and violinist
Scott Hosfeld, Music Director/Conductor
and violist
Malibu Coast String Quartet
Members of the
Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra

For more information on the
Malibu Friends of Music
please visit: www.malibufriendsofmusic.org

———————————————

Wu Nation,

We will be appearing at Rusty’s Surf Ranch on Saturday,
August 26th 2017, starting at 10:00 pm and will play two
sets of your favorite Steely Dan tunes!  We want this to
be a fun evening for all, so please bring your friends
along and enjoy a great time with us.

The line up for this show will be:

Tony Egan: Lead Vocals
Leigh DeMarche: Vocals
Jodi Fodor: Vocals
Gil Ayan: Guitar
Steve Bias: Bass and Vocals
Roch Bordenave: Trombone
Jeff Dellisanti: Saxophones
Mark Harrison: Keyboards
Frank Villafranca: Saxophones
Kurt Walther: Drums

Rusty’s Surf Ranch
256 Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 393-7437
http://www.rustyssurfranch.com/

We look forward to seeing you there!
The Doctor Wu Band
http://www.doctorwuband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/doctorwuband

—————————————————

8/27/17

SUNDAY’S LIVE with Susan Greenberg
and friends.

Hi. Please join us for a free chamber
music concert at

LACMA Sunday August 27, 2017 6 pm.
Put it in your calendars!  Susan

Sundays Live Concert Sunday August 27, 2017   6 pm  FREE
Los Angeles County Museum of Art  Bing Auditorium

Susan Greenberg, flute
Pasha Tseitlin, violin
Tim Richardson, viola
Judith Farmer, bassoon
Nic Gerpe, piano

Trio Sonata in b Minor for flute,
bassoon and piano…………….Jean-Baptist
Loeillet  (1680-1730)
Largo
Allegro
Adagio
Allegro con Spirto

Serenade in D Major, op. 141a for flute,
violin and viola……..Max Reger (1873-1916)
Vivace
Larghetto
Presto

Ghost Train for flute, bassoon and piano
……………Gernot Wolfgang  (1957-)

Sonata for flute, violin and piano
……Nino Rota (1911-1979)
Allegro Ma Non Troppo
Andante Sostenuto
Allegro

Concerto for 2 violins, flute, bassoon
and piano………………..
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Allegro
Largo
Presto

—————————–

8/27/1

CENTERSTAGE OPERA
Café della Vita in West Hills hosts our next Musical
Dinner August 27th!
Opera, Broadway, jazz standards and soft rock sung
by CSO Artistic Directors Shira Renee Thomas,
Dylan F.Thomas and friends

Choose from 3 delicious entree choices:
grilled salmon
chicken marsala or
lasagna (meat or vegetarian).
The entire evening, including full-course
meal and entertainment, is just $55
which includes tax and tip (wine available
at additional charge).

Reservations are required & limited, so act now.

call 818-517-4102

Café della Vita
23759 Roscoe Blvd., West Hills

—————————–

9/6/17

Free Admission GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS

Wed SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 at 12:10-12:40 pm

ARIOSO DUO: Flutist Cynthia Ellis & Harpist Michelle Temple
play Elgar, Nielsen, Mouquet and Damase.
Thank you!

Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon Concerts
818-249-5108
http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

8/11/17

I.  PENSION MYTHS and FACTS
II. NEW PENSION FUND ASSESSMENT
III. MPS FUNDRAISER UPDATE
IV. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity –

Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity –

Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician

…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal

– L.A. Symphonic musician
…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. PENSION MYTHS AND FACTS

FACTS, NOT MYTHS
MPS responds to President Ray Hair’s July 2017 International
Musician article

Dear Plan Participants,
Ray Hair attempts to “bust the myths” related to our pension
fund’s crisis in this month’s International Musician, which
was copied verbatim from the AFM-EPF June newsletter
(that message can be found here and here). President
Hair’s message actually raises more questions than it
answers.

President Hair’s Myth #1:
The Fund is not critical and

declining so we’re “safe.”

MPS Question #1: Why the dramatic deterioration in the past
12 months? President Hair states that avoiding critical and
declining status this year doesn’t mean that our fund is
healthy. We agree with that. But he doesn’t address the
key issue.

The recent Annual Funding Notice shows the funded
percentage of our plan (view here) has declined from
81.6% to 69% in just one year. That is a decrease of
12.6 points, which is our largest decrease since the
financial crisis of 2008-9 (funded percentages since
2009 are 75%, 94.5%, 91.8%, 88.5%, 86.9%, 85.6%,
and 81.6%.). So while that percentage has been
trending down moderately, this past year it took a
dramatic fall. Why? President Hair does not say.

————-
President Hair’s Myth #2: 
The Keep Our Pension

Promises Act (KOPPA)
proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders is good
for participants.

MPS Question #2: Why is President Hair so
enamored with a law that numerous
Senators and Congressmen want repealed
or revised (read about MPRA)?

Mr. Hair asserts that he met with staffers of
Democratic senators in Washington, D.C., on
June 6, and discovered that with the current
Republican senate in place, KOPPA would likely
not be enacted into law. If this was news to Mr.
Hair and Mr. Gagliardi at their meeting, it certainly
isn’t to anyone else. MPS stated back in May that
it is unlikely this legislation would be passed in
today’s current political climate, but it could be
passed after the 2018 and 2020 elections. It also
shouldn’t stop our trustees from seeking
improvements to already existing laws, or lobby
for a new piece of legislation altogether that
would be better suited to the needs of all plan
participants.

Mr. Hair and our trustees only seem interested
in one piece of legislation: the Multiemployer
Pension Reform Act of 2014 (MPRA), which
allows the trustees of financially-troubled multi
employer pension plans to apply to the US
Treasury for reduced benefits to retirees and
their widows/widowers. Numerous senators
and congressmen on both sides of the aisle
have expressed extreme dissatisfaction with
MPRA. In fact, a number of them have stated
that they want it substantially revised, or repealed
altogether. Several Republican senators have
joined with Senator Rob Portman, R-Ohio, to
revise MPRA (Pension Accountability Act).

Portman’s proposal would disallow any benefit
cuts without a majority of the votes cast by the
plan participants. Despite these proposals for
substantial revision to MPRA, our trustees
have not engaged with these efforts, choosing
to enforce MPRA as written, allowing benefit
cuts over the objections of plan participants.
Regarding the possibility of our plan falling
into MPRA in the next year or two, President
Hair has clearly overlooked one very important
scenario – in the event that MPRA is revised to
benefit the plan participants after the 2018 or
2020 elections, those who already had cuts
enacted may very well be denied the new
favorable benefits of the revised law.

It has become clear over the past several months
that the trustees view MPRA as the only legislative
tool in their toolbox. A question MPS still wants
answered is whether the trustees used plan money
to help draft and lobby for the passage of MPRA in
2014. We asked the trustees this question in our
information request last month (read here), and
they refused to answer.

————————
President Hair’s Myth #3: The plan lost 40% in
investment returns when other plans lost 25%.

MPS Question #3: Why won’t the trustees answer
our questions regarding the losses of 2008-9?

Mr. Hair would like us to know that the plan lost 29%
in investment returns for the 12 months ending
March 31, 2009, not 40% as some have alleged.
There have been numerous conflicting communications
from the trustees on this subject. MPS formally
requested detailed information regarding the Fund’s
realized losses in 2008-09 (read items 6-8), but the
trustees refused to answer those questions.

Executive Director, Maureen Kilkelly, informed us
that they would provide only the documents required
by law, and that they “… are not responding to
the remaining requests.* ”

MPS also asked the trustees for detailed information
regarding the performance of the alternative investment
portfolio. It’s clear that the trustees have revised their
investment strategy since 2014, and shifted to a more
aggressive investment mix. Currently, approximately
32% of plan assets are allocated to alternative
investments, including private equity. Our questions
regarding the private equity portfolio, including the
nature of the fees and investment returns, were not
answered by the trustees.

We also asked whether they received any legal
advice that the plan had a viable lawsuit against
any of its investment advisors for the poor performance
during not only in the 2008 financial crisis, but also
the past 10 years – a lost decade from an investment
point of view. The trustees refused to answer us on
this critical point as well.

——————————

President Hair’s Myth #4: The Fund office received
huge staff pay increases in 2009.

MPS Question #4: Why won’t the trustees answer
our questions about expenses?

President Hair indicates that plan participants
misunderstand why expenses seem to have gone
up abruptly in 2009, and continued to increase since.
It is precisely this reason that MPS asked
numerous questions regarding expenses
(see items 11-16). The trustees refused all
requests. We again ask that the trustees
respond fully to our information request so
we may understand exactly what went wrong
with our fund, and what can be done in the
future to repair it.

President Hair, who has been the AFM trustee
co-chair since 2010, isn’t busting any myths –
he is using carefully curated facts in order to
make his case. When asked questions that
are uncomfortable or inconvenient, AFM-EPF
refuses to answer.

This is not transparency.

President Hair focuses on “busting myths”
because he and the other trustees choose to
dodge the facts – over the past decade, our
fund has endured poor performance with an
average 3.2% return net of investment fees,
spent $250 million in fees, and left us with
serious questions about how our plan money
has been spent. One thing is obviously missing
when it comes to the communications from Mr.
Hair and the other trustees ­­­– what is the
trustees’ strategic long-term plan moving forward
to deal with the continual problems at the AFM-EPF?

President Hair, is the plan to fix the AFM-EPF
fund a myth as well?

Sincerely,
Musicians for Pension Security, Inc.
*Ms. Kilkelly included a disclaimer on her
email that prevents us from sharing it publicly.

[EC: Our dues pay the salaries of the trustees,
they have no right to refuse answering reasonable
questions of their employers (us).

Why haven’t these people been fired?]

===========================================

II. NEW PENSION FUND ASSESSMENT

This is as good an analysis as I’ve seen or our AFM

pension situation.

“The AFM Pension Crisis – A View from the Membership”.
Three months in preparation, this paper has received

endorsements from two of the leading authorities on

pension finance in the U.S.:

http://www.AFMPensionPerspectives.com

Here’s the intro:

We are long-time AFM members with an interest

and background in finance and math. Our only agenda

is to try to bring our pension fund back to a usable

state for all members, of all generations. We are

concerned that if the Fund continues in its

present course, those of you who are now fifty

may receive only a few years of a (possibly

reduced) pension. If you are forty-five or

younger you may receive nothing at all.

This is not inevitable and we think there

is a good chance our fund can be saved. To

do this, we think it’s important to understand

how pension funds work. If you are allergic

to numbers or finance, but have had a savings

account or taken out a loan, you will be able to

understand the basics of a pension plan. There

are many different versions of how we got into

this mess. In particular, we find the Trustees’

version inexplicably incomplete. Our version

has the advantage of being consistent with the

views of pension experts and unfolds naturally

as we explain how pensions work in Part 1.

Since our story differs from the Trustees version in
numerous ways, we realize it might be controversial.
To remove any doubt you may have that our comments
are within the mainstream of financial thought and not
some crazy theory, we invited the highly respected
pension authorities M. Barton Waring and Ronald J.
Ryan to review our work. Their complete comments
to us follow this introduction. We are grateful for
their time and efforts.

Talking about things without knowing much about
them is a good way to generate a lot of heat without
generating any illumination. We think there’s been
a lot of that going on and we hope this will help fix that.
Along the way, we also talk about ways to evaluate
pension fund investment performance, the serious
issue of our shrinking pension ’nest-egg’, and some
possible ways that we can all work together to fix
the fund.

Moving forward looks like it will require the efforts
of many members. If you are a member of an
orchestra committee or other influential group,
we hope you will try to do something to get your
colleagues to help bring our pension back to a
healthy status. We advise you not to wait for an
initiative from the AFM, which may or may not arrive.

You can fix a copy of this document in PDF
format or HTML, along with other pension
articles of interest on our website:
AFM Pension Perspectives.

While we wrote this for our colleagues in the
AFM, what you are about to read applies to
every defined-benefit plan in America, both public
and all favors of private. The magnitude of the problem
is currently measured in the trillions of dollars and
climbing. As a result, not only do we hope you find
this document useful, we hope you will share it. And
we hope you will share it not only with your fellow
AFM members, but with anyone who is a participant
in a defined-benefit pension plan.
In Solidarity,
Scott & Tom
NYC & LA
August 8, 2017

===========================================

III. MPS FUNDRAISER UPDATE
75% of our goal reached in 2 weeks!

Dear Plan Participants

The MPS fundraising campaign is off to a great start! Thanks to
the generosity of plan participants across the country, we have hit
the 75% mark of our total fundraising goal. As of today we need
less than $3,900 to reach our fundraising goal of $15,000.

Please help us by clicking here.

With these funds, we have already taken two huge steps toward
protecting our fund:
1    1. Actuarial, financial, and investment documents have
2    been purchased from the AFM-EPF.
3    2. The services of Tom Lowman, FSA, of the highly-accredited
4    actuarial firm Bolton Partners, Inc., have been retained to
5    analyze the plan documents and provide a clear independent
6    actuarial analysis of the AFM-EPF.

If this email was forwarded to you, and you are reading about
Musicians for Pension Security (MPS) for the first time, please

share it with all you know!

(more…)

8/4/17

I. LOCAL REACHES NEW LOW AGAINST RANK AND FILE
II. MUSICIANS FOR PENSION SECURITY RESPOND

III. HELP THE MUSICIANS FOR PENSION SECURITY
IV. MEMBER COMMENTS
V. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. LOCAL REACHES NEW LOW AGAINST RANK AND FILE

We’ve received several reports that at a recent non-union
recording session, a recently fired high up employee was
found lurking in the bushes, taking pictures of members
entering the studio.

All those identified were charged $500 for trying to feed their
families, with no union work to be had.

BUT WAIT,

The Local decided to hold the $500 charge over their heads,
telling them that it will not be pressed UNLESS they are
caught again.

So, the Local is now targeting rank and file for trying to pay
their bills, unless you’re in the upper echelon of course, and
threatening them with further targeting.

If the Local spent half the time and effort they spend
on targeting rank and file members trying to create
world competitive contracts  much of the nonunion
work would be unnecessary.

As long as the RMA runs things, that won’t happen.

Many RMA members do the nonunion work at the same
rate as the rank and file, but because of their positions
never face the targeting.

Corruption is as corruption does.

===========================================

II. MUSICIANS FOR PENSION SECURITY RESPOND.

Musicians for Pension Security respond to the lawsuit
filed against the AFM-EPF trustees and Fund Administrator
Dear Plan Participants,

A class action lawsuit was recently filed against the trustees of the AFM-
EPF. The central allegation is that Fund trustees failed to properly oversee
the investment functions of our plan. In particular, it claims they directed
too much plan money into emerging market stocks, and as a result, the
investment returns were lower than if they were invested in US stocks.

Musicians for Pension Security did not file this lawsuit.

It was initiated by two AFM-EPF members who are not affiliated with
our organization. MPS applauds any effort to hold plan trustees
accountable for their performance and transparency failures.
However, the litigation process could take years to unfold, and
during this time the trustees will be deciding the fate of our plan.
In the next few years, they will determine if the plan will move into
critical and declining status, and whether or not to file an application
to the US Treasury for cuts to our pension benefits. We cannot
let the lawsuit distract us from the key task of protecting our
pension benefits.

MPS believes that the lawsuit, if successful, would only recover
approximately 1% of plan assets. In all likelihood our trustees
have an insurance policy insulating them from possible litigation,
and in general, these policies provide somewhere between
$20-$40 million of protection. After deducting attorneys’ fees,
we believe that at most only approximately $20 million could
be recovered. This equates to less than 1% of plan assets,
or about $400 per participant.

While holding AFM-EPF trustees accountable is laudable,
MPS remains focused on how plan participants can have a
greater influence right now. We have retained our own
independent actuary to provide a second opinion concerning
the finances of our fund. MPS will continue to engage with
policymakers in Washington to find solutions in plan
participants’ best interests. Through grassroots efforts,
we can unite and work together to protect the pension
benefits of all plan participants.

Sincerely,
Musicians for Pension Security
Adam Krauthamer
Marilyn Coyne
Jon Kantor
Anja Wood
Pete Donovan
Elise Frawley
Sylvia D’Avanzo and
Carol Zeavin

=========================================

III. HELP THE MUSICIANS FOR PENSION SECURITY

Dear Plan Participants,
Musicians For Pension Security, Inc. (MPS), is a nonprofit
group managed and supported by AFM union members
across the country who are deeply concerned with the
current state of our AFM-EPF Pension Plan. Our purpose
is to fully understand how our plan became so troubled,
and to hold our trustees and their advisers fully
accountable. Further, we demand more transparency
from our trustees and to seek solutions to our current
dilemma other than cutting our hard-earned pension
benefits.

MPS believes that without plan participants’ active
involvement, the trustees of AFM-EPF Plan will most
likely move to cut our pension benefits within the
next few years. Therefore, this year will be pivotal
in our fight for pension security, and we at MPS are
planning a number of initiatives to support YOU,
the plan participant.

To do this, we will need your financial support. We
ask that you join us and please donate! Your
contribution is critical in helping us work toward a
sustainable, long-term plan for pension security,
and enables us to continue fighting on behalf of
all AFM-EPF plan participants. Right now, we
have launched an important fundraising campaign,
and need to raise $15K by September.

Read more about that here.

To donate:
http://tinyurl.com/ybbeo3am

Please help spread the word!

=======================================

IV. MEMBER COMMENTS

Latest email blast from the RMALA gives a “thank you”
for Gordon Grayson’s “straight shooting” service and
wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

HE WAS FIRED FOR DOING THEIR DIRTY WORK….BADLY!
We are surprised that they would so openly flaunt
their connection with Gordon.

[EC: We’ve never recall the RMA thanking any mere employee
in a blast individually in public after leaving the local’s employ,
particularly if they were fired.
Not Barbara Markay, nor Serena Williams, nor Dave Schubach,
nor Hal Espinosa, nor Vince Trombetta, nor Doug Caine, nor
Amie Moore, nor Jeff Surga… We could be wrong, but we doubt it.

Now we know why.

We heard the same, the fired employee would target whomever
The RMA leadership wanted. Explains a lot really. We can’t help
but wonder if a local officer knew about it,… or helped direct it.

More on this soon.]

————

the name of the gentleman in charge of the Musicians for
Pension Security group is Adam Krauthamer, his phone
# is 215 280 5958, and he would like to hear from any
Local 47 pensioners who do NOT want their monthly
pension checks cut. glad i’m over 80 so they cannot
cut mine.

===========================================

V. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

http://www.responsible47.com

—————————————-

8/6/16

Dearest Friends of Music and the Arts –

Please join us for a very special concert entitled,
“French Color: Debussy and Ravel”
Sunday, August 6, 2017 – 7:30 PM at
COLLIER HOUSE – Woodland Hills.

The program will celebrate two masters of
French musical impressionism, Claude Debussy
and Maurice Ravel.

Through solo piano, accompanied voice, and
ensemble pieces, you’ll experience the
mesmerizing color and precise musical
invention of these two great composers.

The Malibu Coast String Quartet
(Maria Newman & Rafael Rishik, violinists;
Scott Hosfeld, violist; and
Paula Hochhalter, cellist)

will join rising stars bass-baritone
Matthew Lewis, and pianist
Jiye Hayden, in an exquisite evening
of color and grace.

Doors open at 7:00 pm ~ Refreshments will be served
Concert begins at 7:30 pm

TICKETS: $25 Buy Now / $30 At The Door / Under 18 Free
Make Your Reservation ~ (818) 304 – 4020
PROGRAM: (approx. 1.5 hours)
Debussy  ~ Music for Solo Piano: Clair de Lune & Arabesque #1
Debussy ~ French Songs: Romance & Les Cloches
Ravel ~ French Songs: Sainte & Five Greek Songs
Ravel ~ String Quartet in F Major
Ravel ~ Piece en forme de Habanera
Faure ~ Apres un reve
Maria Newman ~ Le petit duel
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Collier House/Paula Hochhalter at (818) 304 – 4020

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47